NASCAR Champ Chase Elliott to Make USAC Midget Debut at Ocala
Speedway, Indiana (February 1, 2021)………Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott will make his USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget debut in the CB Industries No. 84 when the series arrives at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla. for Winter Dirt Games XII on Feb. 5-6 for the start of the new season.
The new ride for Elliott will sport sponsorship from NAPA – Pristine Auction – K & C Drywall for the defending USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget championship owning team at the 3/8-mile D-shaped dirt track where Elliott will also be teamed with 2020 series champ, Chris Windom.
Elliott, of Dawsonville, Ga. native recently made his first foray into midget racing with a third and fourth place finish last December at North Carolina’s Millbridge Speedway, and also contested January’s Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Okla., just narrowly missing the cut for the final transfer spot to the feature in his preliminary night B-Main.
CB Industries team owner Boat, and Elliott, share a mutual respect, and their racing activities together date back to when they competed against each other as drivers on the NASCAR K & N Pro Series East circuit in 2011-12.
During this past January’s Chili Bowl, Elliott expressed a desire to do more midget racing in the future and Boat was more than happy to oblige with Elliott stationed an hour-and-a-half away in Daytona as he prepares for the opening of the NASCAR Cup season.
“I’ve been talking to Chase ever since he started doing a little bit of midget stuff,” Boat explained. “After Chili Bowl, he was looking to do a little bit more to get ready for Chili Bowl in 2022. I think it just made sense with us being down here close to what he’s doing for his other work. It just made sense for him that it would be a good place for him to come over and do it.”
Elliott, son of 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup champion driver Bill Elliott, is one of the top stars on the NASCAR circuit, recording 11 series wins over the past three seasons at the Charlotte oval, the Charlotte roval twice, the Daytona Road Course, Martinsville, Phoenix, Talladega, Watkins Glen Road Course twice, Dover and Kansas.
Additionally, Chase has been named the most popular NASCAR Cup driver in each of the past three seasons in 2018-19-20.
While Elliott will maintain a busy schedule as he gets sets to attempt to defend his NASCAR Cup title, the itch remains to get more laps in a midget with USAC when his availability and time allows.
“I don’t think we have a set schedule, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him run some more,” Boat revealed. “We’re definitely going to do Ocala and we’ll go from there. Obviously, he’s limited on what he can do, for sure, but he definitely wants to get more laps in, and I think you’ll see him pop up maybe whenever we can.”
Elliott hits the track for his first USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget appearances in the series openers on Feb. 5-6 at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla. Grandstands open at 5pm ET each night with cars on track at 6pm.
A dedicated practice night will precede the festivities on Feb. 4 from 6-9pm ET.
Both nights of the USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midgets can be watched LIVE on FloRacing.
Sources: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott will make his USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget debut in the CB Industries No. 84 when the series arrives at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla. for Winter Dirt Games XII on Feb. 5-6 for the start of the new season.